


Tell 'Em I Ain't Comin' Back

by AbeTheDadtm



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Firefly
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefly Fusion, Alternate Universe - Firefly Setting, Alternate Universe - Human, Blood, Gen, M/M, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-26 00:15:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15651846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbeTheDadtm/pseuds/AbeTheDadtm
Summary: After the Earth was used up, we found a new solar system and hundreds of new Earths were terraformed and colonized. The central planets formed the Alliance and decided all the planets had to join under their rule. There was some disagreement on that point. After the War, many of the Independents who had fought and lost drifted to the edges of the system, far from Alliance control. Out here, people struggled to get by with the most basic technologies; a ship would bring you work, a gun would help you keep it. A captain's goal was simple: find a crew, find a job, keep flying.





	Tell 'Em I Ain't Comin' Back

Run and gun, Mollymauk, run and gun. Shots rang out around him as he rushed through the hills, gun up. He landed the hits, bang, bang, bang, more Alliance soldiers dead. He didn't catch their faces for glimpses of recognition, and frankly, he stopped giving a damn. Now there was just him and dead bodies and up ahead, more Browncoats, waiting for orders.

Yasha was just behind him, popping shots, grabbing the scraps and the folks he couldn't see. The bangs gave Molly a headache, but his heart was racing and damn it, they had a chance.

Up ahead, Adrihan the radio operator said, “Sergeant, Command says air support is holding ‘til they can assess our status.”

“Our status is that we need some gorram air support,” said Molly as he shot another Alliance soldier. “Now get back on the line and tell 'em to get in here.”

“The skiff is shredding us, sir,” Yasha said as she ducked behind the barrier. 

Adrihan shook their head. They were young, too young. “They won't move without a lieutenant's authorization code.”

Molly scowled, brown eyes darting to the dead around him. There was a lieutenant, crumpled, still holding his gun. Molly tore off his badge and shoved it into Adrihan's fist. “Here, here's your code. You're Lieutenant Baker, congratulations on your promotion. Now get me some gorram air support.” He turned to Yasha, pointing with his gun. “Pull back, just enough to wedge 'em in there. Get your squad to high ground, start pickin’ 'em off.”

“High ground is death with that skiff in the air!” said Yasha, voice tense and sharp as a knife on a spring. 

Molly shrugged. “That’s our problem. Thanks for volunteering.” He turned to Daviron, a kid shaking in his boots, waiting for orders. “Dav, give us some cover fire. We’re goin’ duck huntin’.”

Suddenly, the world was shaking around him, rattling Molly like dice in a cup. An explosion by the foxhole. Everyone crashed to the ground. Molly’s eyes caught them. They were so young, so desperate. He cracked a smile. “Just focus!” After a careful moment, he scuttled to the others. “The Alliance said they were gonna waltz through Serenity Valley and we choked ‘em with those words.” His grin outshone the dirt on his tan skin. “We’ve done the impossible, and that makes us mighty. Just a little while longer, our angels are gonna be soarin’ overhead rainin’ fire on those arrogant cod, so you hold!” His voice escalated to a yell. “You hold! Go!”

The soldiers took up their positions, readying weapons while Molly and Yasha readied themselves. “Really think we can bring her down, sir?” Yasha asked.

“Do you even need to ask?” Molly replied. He pulled out a cross from under his shirt, brought the warmed metal to his lips, slipped it back under again. He needed a miracle, and he trusted he’d get one. “Ready?”

“Always,” said Yasha.

Molly scampered, heading towards the big-ass gun up ahead. Behind him, he could hear Yasha shout, “Dav? Daviron?” Then, gunshots, Yasha laying cover fire for him. Then her footsteps, following, following. Molly shot at the bushes, and the purple-belly guarding the gun moved out of his cover. A mistake on his part. Another shot and the guy is at his feet, bleeding out. 

Yasha covered him while Molly took hold of the big-ass gun, activating the targeting system. He locked on the skiff, fires. The shot comes out, and like magic, the skiff is on fire. With the success, Molly whooped with excitement. “Yeah!” he cried to the sky. Then...rutting hell, the skiff’s out of control and heading his way. “Ta ma de,” he muttered, then turned tail and ran. “Yasha!” The two took off running.

The skiff plowed past them and crashed into an explosion as Molly and Yasha landed flat on their backs, knocking the wind out of them. With the close call, Molly is laughing, while Yasha sighed. 

When they were safe, they scuttled back to the foxhole. “Nice cover fire, Daviron,” said Yasha, a bit sharply.

“Did you see that?” Molly asked, still flush with adrenaline. His eyes went to Adrihan. “Han, what’s our status on--”

There’s blood on their jacket, and Adrihan was not moving. His voice goes low and quiet. “Yasha?” She looks up, and he points with his gun, and she nods, checking up on the kid, and Molly went to Daviron. Poor kid was wide-eyed in terror. “Hey, listen to me. Dav, look at me.” He poked the kid until he looked up at him, The boy’s eyes were blue, bluer than any sky Molly had ever seen. “Listen, we’re holdin’ this valley no matter what.”

“We’re gonna die,” said Daviron, shaking his head.

“We’re not gonna die,” said Molly, “we can’t die, you know why?” A grin crept back on his face. “Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die. Come look at that chiseled jaw. C’mon.”

Molly’s glance went to Yasha, who was operating the radio now. It hit a bit in the pit of his stomach. He said a prayer to his god for the poor kid’s soul. But something roared in the sky, and his heart grew. “If you won’t listen to me, listen to that,” said Molly to Daviron. “Those are our angels coming to blow the Alliance to the hot place.” He turned back to Yasha. “Yash, tell the 82nd--”

“They’re not coming,” said Yasha, quietly. “Command says it’s too hot. They’re pulling out. We’re to lay down arms.”

The sounds of gunfire didn’t reach his ears. The roar of ships flying away went dead. He shook his head. The gunshots hit Daviron, right in the stomach. The blood hit Molly’s face, wet, warm.

The miracle hadn’t come.


End file.
